Jesus Is Better

Hebrews 1:4-14; 2:5-9

Hebrews is deeply theological book of the Bible that helps us to see how Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets of the Old Testament. More accurately, how Jesus fulfills the Mosaic covenant, or what we now call the Old Covenant. There are a few big ideas that the author of Hebrews weaves together through the letter in order to help us understand who Jesus, his nature, and what he accomplished. If we remember from last week and we can look back and the introductory verses, Jesus is supreme. He is supreme because He is God. He is the same nature as God and He id the radiance of the glory of God. In this week’s study we will see that Jesus is better.

v. 4 is the transitional verse - 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs

How did Jesus, who is God, then become “superior to the angels” and what “name has he inherited”?

Son

Matthew 11:27 “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Redeemer

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—”

Jesus is better . . .

read the passages

The Relationship Identity between the Father and the Son. 1:5

Psalm 2. God calls his “anointed” -My Son.

v. 6 Zion is both Jerusalem and Heaven.

v. 8 the Kingdom promised is bigger than any one king.

v. 12 Kiss the Son - honor, worship. We can take refuge in Him.

Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

2 Samual 7:4-14 We can see a shift in this passage from David to Solomon to the Christ.

2. The Position of the Angels.

-Angels worship God. Deuteronomy 32:43 “Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people’s land.”

Psalm 97:7 “All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods!” “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!”

-Angels are instruments for God, powerful and destructive. Psalm 104:4 “he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.”

The Angels were ready to serve Jesus at key times in the Gospels.

3. The Eternal Attribute of the Son. Psalm 45:6 “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;”

Psalm 102:25–27 “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.”

Jesus is Eternal and Immutable.

Psalm 110:1 “The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Jesus sits at the right hand of God.

C. 2:5-17

Psalm 8:4-6 Everything is under Jesus’ control.

He humbled himself v.8

He suffered to taste death for everyone. v.9

He is the creator-sustainer v.10

He brings us to God v.10

He makes us perfect v.10, 11

His work is perfect v.10

He calls us brothers v.11-12

Jesus is our high priest. v. 17

Now we see that Jesus is better than . . .

Than Angels - C. 1, 2 because Jesus is the Son of God, eternal, immutable, creator-sustainer

Than Moses - Hebrews 3:3–6“For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.”

Than Joshua - Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on

Than Abel - Hebrews 12:24 “and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

He is our Rest - Hebrews 4:9–11 “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”

He is the better covenant. Hebrews 7:21–22, “but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’ ” This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.” Hebrews 8:6 “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.”

He is the better hope, Hebrews 7:19 “(for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.”

He is the better tabernacle, Hebrews 8:1–2 “Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.”

He has better promises, Hebrews 8:6 “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.”

He is the better Sacrifice, Hebrews 9:23–24 “Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”

He is the better possession, Hebrews 10:34 “For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.”